Rankin Inlet is implementing bylaws around ATV safety, including helmet requirements

Key takeaways: 

• ‘Trust me, helmets work,’ articulates the seasoned fire chief.
• A recent bylaw enforcement campaign seeks to beef up compliance with safety laws. 

To improve public safety, the community of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, has continued its yearly enforcement campaign of traffic rules for all-terrain vehicles.

The requirement to improve safety is fundamental, said Fire Chief Mark Wyatt.

“One of the things that we try to prevent from happening is children racing around on ATVs. We have several ATV casualties every year, and we’re trying to deny those and make sure that people aren’t getting hurt,” Wyatt said.

On June 1, bylaw officers in the community of approximately 3,300 will start to clamp down on underage driving, speeding, and unsafe ATV operation. They also execute limitations on the number of passengers allowed on every ATV and compliance with stop signs and school zones.

According to the bylaw, Wyatt stated everyone on an ATV must wear a helmet.

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“The casualties we have where people wear helmets, the wounds are always significantly less. I’ve been in the fire industry for 20 years, and I’ve seen motorcycle mishaps, ATV accidents, and the damage induced by them, with and without helmets. And trust me, helmets work,” he said.

ATV drivers must hold to a maximum speed of 40 km/hr in town and stay at 20 km/hr in school or other speed-restricted areas.

ATVs must also be appropriately registered, and kids under 16 are not allowed to drive ATVs in town “at any time,” the bylaw says.

A child’s demise provokes change

Wyatt said that the age boundary for driving ATVs in Rankin Inlet has advanced from 14 to 16 over the previous few years.

Source – cbc.ca